Aegis 101
Congratulations. You have signed up for one of the most difficult, sometimes soul-crushing jobs on the Northern Light.
In short, Aegis is an asset-protection PMC. They are an outside contractor that has been contracted by the Board of the CEV Northern Light to protect the ship, it's crew, and it's equipment from harm. (In order of importance) By selecting Operative, Investigator, Specialist, Gunnery Sergent, or Commander as your role, you are signing up to put your character's life and well-being on the line in order to protect the rest of the crew from internal and external threats. Like the name says, you are the shield that defends others from harm and keeps your workplace from falling into the hands of the many, many threats that want to end the voyage of the ship.
To define what members of Aegis are, let's start with what they are not.
Aegis is not:
Aegis is:
To clarify, Aeigs are not cops (dystopian or otherwise). They are not a military force. They are not mall cops.
They are a well-trained security force that has the tools, armor, and weapons to defend themselves, their work site, and their co-workers. While an operative can certainly be from a military or law-enforcement background... it is not a requirement. Ultimately Aegis training to become an operative is a six-month course/boot camp. Aegis is, mechanically, absolutely tougher than most of the crew; but they are neither infallible nor invincible. At the end of the day your primary goal as an operative should be getting home safe, with as many of your friends and family with you as possible.
First and foremost, Aegis protects the CEV Northern Light. The ship is for the time being not only your workplace, but your home. We are away from port for weeks or months at a time, and losing the ship can very well mean a slow death by starvation, imprisonment by slavers, or becoming host to a horrific parasitic alien species. Above all else, protect the ship from threats that would destroy or capture it. Every faction except Nanotrasen has ample reason to want the ship and its secrets seized, and its crew pacified or neutralized. Your primary purpose is to stop that from happening.
Just as important as who we are, is who we protect. The ship is worthless without a crew, and the crew are frankly more than just co-workers. Hate or love them, your characters are spending weeks or months living with the other inhabitants of the ship. A permanent death (in the context of the round) is a horrific blow and should be avoided if at all possible.
Learning about each department, and what they do, is vital to success
Every member of command, including your own commander, are more than just heads of various departments. They are part owner of the ship, having bought or been given shares in the CEV Nothern Light. Every one of them, even the Merchant and Preacher, can take the role of acting captain if the need arises, and their requests should not be ignored lightly.
Located in section two, Medical staff are the people charged with keeping you and the rest of the crew healthy and well. In the event of death, they also are generally the first group to bring you back. (Assuming you have a soulcrypt) While Aegis has an internal specialist, remember his capabilities are limited compared to that of a full doctor and most doctors can provide a number of medicines and stimulants that are not available internally. Keep medical close, and keep them protected. They are some of the most fragile members of the crew.
It is worth noting that certain restricted stimulants, such as Turbo, Boxer, Violence Ultra, and Menace, are permissible to have in the chemistry lab or with approval from the CMO.
Located across from Medical in section two and from the same company as the medical team, the Science team are the backers of this expedition and the providers of improved tools and upgrades. While sometimes a bit closed off compared to their medical counterparts, Scientists and Roboticists are the people who can improve you and your tools to a level that you just don't see elsewhere... and an unhappy scientist can be your worst nightmare if provoked.
Science is permitted to have illegal technology in their labs with approval from the CSO.
Located in section three, the Free Trade Union can either be your best asset or your worst nightmare. The FTU controls all export and import of goods, all recycling, mineral refining, manufacturing, and they own all but a handful of vendors on the ship, and have members who's martial capability are second only to Aegis. Keep the Union happy and you have a department of men and women who are more than happy to provide you with a glut of high-quality munitions, weapons, tools, and backup at a moment's notice. An unhappy union is a large mob of angry, heavily armed men and women who can match you blow for blow in a fistfight.
Cargo is permitted to have lethal rounds and contraband weaponry within cargo bay. Check with the merchant if something seems shifty. While the Random Wave radio breaks some regulations regarding communication espionage, it is grandfathered in and permitted for cargo to possess as part of the Merchants contract. Don't go stealing artifacts from other departments!
Located across from Cargo, The Club is a source of rest, food and entertainment. Clubbies can be anyone (even off-duty operatives!) and generally run the gamut of personalities and capabilities. Generally they are some of the people that are to be kept safe from harm. The Club are the only staff directly hired by the CEV Nothern Light and are the only direct reports to the First Officer (except Deckhands)
The Club Manager is not command, but still has authority in the club itself as well as the ear of the Captain and First Officer. Try and be respectful. Getting Aegis banned from the Club makes everyone unhappy.
Located behind the Club, the Church are honored guests on the CEV Northern Light. They provide spiritual guidance, food production and cleaning services to the ship. They provide biomass for the medical cloner as well as possessing their own form of reviving the dead. Their custodians are generally also quite capable combatants.
The Church has the exclusive right to provide asylum to anyone they see fit. If you ignore this right, you are breaking your contract and can get Aegis in serious trouble.
Located on the aft end of the ship, Engineering provides power, air, shielding and repair services to the rest of the crew. By nature of their job engineers tend to be less common and more spread out than other roles. Engineers are specialists at bypassing security systems. If you need into an area, getting their help can be invaluable.
Engineers are permitted to modify their own department and maintenance as they see fit, as long as they don't interfere with normal operations.
Spiders, roaches, carp, combat drones, space bears, space bats, blobs and hiveminds are just some of threats that you will run into. The ship is dangerous and your most common responsibility is eliminating infestations that threaten the welfare of your fellow crewmen.
Thankfully you don't need to do this alone. Most of the crew are not only capable, but happy to lend a hand or gun. Hunting is a common pastime on the ship and a great way to bond with the rest of the crew!
Unknown xenobiological threats should be contained and brought to research if at all possible. Destruction should be a last resort. Knowledge is power.
The CEV Northern Light is a valuable, highly anomalous ship. A number of different factions are interested in any information, leverage, or items they can pry out of the ship or her crew. While you absolutely should form friendships and camaraderie with the crew, keep your eyes out for suspicious behavior. Everyone makes mistakes, and our enemies are willing to exploit every opportunity to gain an advantage against us.
If you identify and capture an insurgent it should be high priority to interrogate them to find out who sent them and why. Reviving deceased prisoners is not only permitted, but highly encouraged as the information gained from an insurgent helps us improve our own defenses in the future.
Annihilation (the act of destroying a soulcrypt or cruciform) is an absolute last resort, when all other avenues of containment fail.
While many consider them little more than a rumor or ghost story, Excelsior is very real. As Aegis you are aware of their existence and can identify their armor and equipment. Excelsior is, outright, a terrorist organization and should be treated as such. Any excelsior equipment is to be turned over to command staff or destroyed and the person possessing it questioned. Known Excelsior members are to be captured if at all possible and turned over to medical under guard for recovery and psychiatric treatment. Killed Excelsior members are to be cloned or revived if at all possible, as they do not have a choice in the actions undertaken while subverted.
More than a few factions after the CEV Northern Light have deep pocketbooks. Any ship approaching the Northern Light should be treated with suspicion at minimum, and outright hostility if hails are ignored. Most mercenary groups are amoral, heavily armed and dangerous. In the event that the ship is boarded by outside hostiles, all crew are expected to assist in any way possible in repelling the borders.
While often not possible, captive mercenaries are valuable as both sources of information and hostages for negotiation. Use your discretion when dealing with external threats.
Very, very occasionally the CEV Northern Light may come under attack by warships. Your first priority when going against such a dangerous foe is to escape. If escaping with the ship is not possible, the evacuation and self-destruction of the CEV Northern Light is the preferred course of action. Do not allow the ship to fall in the hands of an outside organization.
Also known as Exurgent Threats. These are entities, organizations, or individuals that pose a threat to all of known sapient life. While we don't expect you to run afoul of them, this is one category of threat that is bigger than all of us.
Nothing is sacred when stopping an X-Factor. Your life, the lives of the crew, the ship, a planet, or even a whole system are to be forfeit to destroy or contain Exurgent threats. Failure is not an option.
While I understand that this guide is light on specifics, I hope that reading it will help you in your quest to protect the good men and women aboard the CEV Northern Light. Good luck, Operative, you will certainly need it.
And Happy Hunting.